The Lonely Continent

Adventures in Urda

Areen

Areen is a very large nation which was forged out of many smaller fiefs and plantation cabals several hundred years ago. During the fall of V’aarad there were rumors of violence done by the people of what would become Areen to their former Elven overlords; the area has been decidedly pro-human since, though never officially and never as violently as Lumen. The government is a Democratic Republic where a legislature, known as the Seated, is elected and from which a head of state is chosen. The economy is booming at the moment, but political in-fighting, corruption, and special interest groups run rampant and have begun to undermine the leadership of Areen, though few of the common people can see it. The small upper class in Areen is composed of government officials and businessmen, most of whom own massive plantations and pasturelands worked by slaves or indentured servants; the lower classes—which make up more than 98% of Areen’s population—gravitate towards the cities.

Languages: Common, Various local dialectsRaces: Overwhelmingly human. Other races are equal under the law, but in practice are subject to a level of discrimination and prejudice that makes most non-humans more than happy to move to the Garic States.Major Cities:Areen, Clostin, Vaan, Vale, FallowmoreEconomic Keystones: Agriculture, Fishing, Trade, Husbandry, ManufacturingMagic: The use of magic is carefully controlled by the state. Its use outside of
prescribed limits, which are very narrow, is harshly punished. This has led to most magic users working directly for the Areen government as advisors, researchers, or combatants. Most combat mages and clerics specialize in illusion and confusion spells to disrupt the enemy in order to allow their heavy cavalry to make a decisive and crippling attack.Alliances/Feuds: Areen has been been relatively peaceful despite some border skirmishes with both Skarl and the Garic Federation. They recently gobbled up a large and fertile section of Wistron through a slick bit of diplomacy. Areen is a military juggernaut but is difficult to get moving quickly. Much of Areen’s military is composed of heavy cavalry—these mounted warriors helped to unite this massive nation from the Bay of Areen to the windswept plains of the southwest.